A life cut short

A HEARTBREAKING journey begins for people of the Hastings, as the full
aftermath of nature’s fury is felt.

As floors are swept, and sandbags are stood aside, locals
will spare a thought for Bonny Hills teen Luke O’Neill – the young sportsman
described as “gifted” and “wonderful” – who tragically lost his life on Friday afternoon.

His death will resonate with a devastated community as they
pick up the pieces after days of wild weather.

As heavy rain battered the region on Friday, the 17-year-old
and his friends were wading through waist-deep water at the Camden Haven Golf
Club, on Kendall Road
in Kew.

Police said the group of friends were simply searching for
golf balls – as they had often done before – when the sheer force of the
floodwater pulled Luke into a drainpipe.

Two friends searched for him, before one of them was also
sucked into the pipe.

The 16-year-old emerged in a dam, after being swept through
the pipe for 100 metres, but Luke was no where in sight.

Police said the 16-year-old was in a stable condition, with
water in his lungs.

The following morning, a friend found Luke’s body lying in
the reeds, some 40 metres away from the exit of the drain he disappeared down.

Port Macquarie Police Inspector Kim Fehon said Luke’s
friends were very distressed and his death would devastate the community.

“They’re local boys. It’s an absolutely huge impact [for] a
very tight-knit community,” she said.

Local police, NSW Fire and Rescue, paramedics and SES
volunteers all took part in the search for Luke.

Tributes flowed on the memorial Facebook page R.I.P Luke,
where heartfelt poems, short notes and long letters expressed the deep sense of
loss felt by many.

Read Gordon Wiegold's tribute to Luke by clicking on the photo below

He will be missed: Bonny Hills teen Luke O’Neill was a talented footballer.